Chuck vs the Eyes
by evilredknight
Summary: This is a multi-parter with a lot of pain - not angst pain tho some . I'm talkin' multiple broken bones and bullet holes with some soul-searing moral choice-damned if you do-damned if you don't kind of pain. Yes there will be Charah.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Chuck, I just worship at the alter.

This story goes AU at Chuck vs the Predator, and continues thru the first half of Chuck vs the Broken Heart. Then it REALLY goes in another direction. Hope it makes sense to you gentle readers.

**The end of Chuck vs the Predator...**

"Hello Chuck. If your watching this disc, then we never got to meet. I am most probably dead, or taken by one side or the other. I'm sorry. There was so much I wanted to say to you. Along with this disc you found some schematics. Schematics for the new Fulcrum intersect. Study them. If you can find it, if you can get to it, you can use it to remove the one you carry in your head. Don't share them with your handlers, you can't trust them with this. They may feel it's their duty to inform General Beckman. That would be bad, for you, and most probably for them. I need you to trust me Chuck. If you ever decide you need to run, there are things you need to know. My secret cashes of my computers and equipment, codes and passwords to get you into most any government data system. What to do, and more importantly, what not to do, to stay hidden, to stay safe. This disc has an Intersect update download. It's a small one compared to the one already in your head. You NEED to do this. I can't help but feel your going to need this information sooner rather then later. PLEASE trust me with this. If you find your going to need the data, you can force a flash by the trigger I set. Watch the movie Tron. Ya, I got the idea from the poster on your wall. One more thing, after you flash you'll find contact information for someone who goes by the name Father Time. You can trust him Implicitly. Help, advice, or as a cut-out. He WILL help you. Get ready ... NOW."

Hundreds of pictures flash across the screen.

"That's it Chuck, I wish there was more I could do. Good Luck. This disk will self destruct in 5 seconds... I always wanted to say that."

**Seven Weeks Later...**

Chuck was ready. _From_ _today there's no going back. _Standing in the bathroom, he looked deep into into his own eyes. There was a hardness there he had become more and more familiar with over the last month.

_Ease back Charles, don't give anything away – nothing to make Casey and Forrest suspicious. Just another day with the super nerd sitting at Castle trying to flash on the Intel provided._

He closed his eyes, then reopened them. It was surprisingly hard to bring back the old Chuck eyes. The well meaning, nervous, cowed by the threats, lost and sad eyes.

_There they are, just keep them that way for a few more hours. Its almost done._

He left the bathroom and reentered his room. The Nerd Herd uniform he's worn for the last five years was waiting on his bed. _This is the last day I'll ever wear it_. _Jesus, how many times had I said that before? How many times had I told Ellie I was quitting then disappointed her by going back. Well today I'm only going to destroy her life and break her heart in two. The fact it has to be done doesn't change that it sucks._

After dressing he looked around the room. There was nothing here he could take with him. Not even that, his eyes on the Tron poster his father had given him. Chuck tore his eyes away. He had already sanitized the room, nothing here would lead them to him, and the precautions he's made would take care of anything he missed. _I hope no-one gets hurt, but I've minimized all the variables I could think of. I'll just have to live with it. _He hated how much such reasoning made him sound like Casey and the General... _No, she don't deserve that respect right now. She's Beckman, just Beckman. _

He returned to the living room, again giving everything one more long look. Devon was sitting at the dinner table drinking one of his 'health shakes' and noticed his quizzical expression.

"Hay Chuck. Whats up with the look man?"

Chuck schooled his face, and turned towards his questioner. Putting a smile on his face he gave Devon the answer he'd rehearsed every morning for the last week, for if and when he needed it.

"Nothing Devon, just remembering all the stuff Big Mike asked me to take care of today. He's been on a bit of a tear since we helped him get rid of Emmett. I think being replaced by corporate scared the crap out of him, he doesn't want it to happen again."

Devon shared a chuckle with him. "Right on bro. We still meeting at the Orange Orange at lunch time right? To get to know John's new girlfriend?"

At the mention on the Orange Orange Chucks face fell. _Give him the look just like you planned it, _he thought.

"Sorry Bro, still bummed about Sarah leaving eh? Not awesome. I'm really sorry if I stepped in it."

_Not yet Devon, but you will be. _"No problem Devon, as Casey says, I have to man up. See you at noon."

"OK Chuck, I'm sorry Ellie can't be there, but she's working a double."

_I'm not Devon, I planned it that way. _Chuck nodded, grabbed his keys and walked out the door without saying a word. He didn't trust himself to speak, but his angry eyes could speak volumes.

**Buy More- 3 hours later...**

Chuck sat at the Nerd Herd desk waiting for for his own personal D-Day, H-Hour and reflected back over the last six weeks. Starting with the one amazing day and night spent with Sarah. The intimacy... the _love, _they'd shared_. _The shock when he awoke in her hotel room to find it empty, everything of her's gone. The frantic rush to castle looking for answers, and the heartrending pain of finding them.

Casey had tried to be gentle... well as gentle as Casey was ever going to be capable of being. Chuck had recognized in his handler, the man's own sadness and shock at the rending of what he considered a good team. But Casey had lost comrades before, to reassignment, and to death, and held it together in stoic calmness. A calmness Chuck _knew_ he would not be able to match. Not now, probably not ever. Little did he know.

"Sarah is gone Chuck... reassigned. A 49B. The General decided she wasn't objective enough when it came to you. And she sort of proved her point when Walker's requested one personal night with you, before being 'escorted for her own safety' back to Washington. Beckman can be a cast iron bitch Chuck, but she gave you two that gift, with the understanding that Walker was to say nothing of the situation to you. I hope your one night with her was memorable, because I'm sorry to say, it won't happen again for a long time." _If ever... _

_If ever_... The words Casey had left unsaid had run through Chuck heart and head like a steel spike. Demanding to speak to the General, Chuck had lost it. He had reasoned, then he had begged, and finally he had threatened. If she did not bring Sarah back, he would no longer co-operate. None of it had worked. Beckman had threatened right back. Immediate life time protective custody for him _and_ Ellie, if he attempted to be obstinate. She had then called Forrest into the room.

Seeing the shocked look on Chuck's face when Forrest was introduced to him, the General misinterpreted his reaction as shock weakness. "Mr. Bartowski, it's well past time for you to grow up. We will not coddle you anymore. That was Agent Walker's failure. You must learn to be ruthless in our fight with Fulcrum. Ruthless even with yourself. This is not a game we are playing. You **will** become a spy. You **will** be trained to be a full member of this team. You have been of use, but only reluctantly. That end now. You failed to join the fight willingly, so I have had to do what Agent Walker was reluctant to do because of your feelings. The intersect will not be removed from your head. You've been drafted Mr. Bartowski. You're in for the duration, and with the ongoing war on terror, I and only I, decide what that duration is." She had turned away to issue further orders to Casey and Forrest.

_They both missed it, _Chuck thought, _they both missed that I flashed on Forrest._ _If I bring it up now they'll think I'm lying to get Sarah back. I am...no, WE are so fucked. _

Two nights later at Awesome's bachelor party. He'd witnessed Forrest's lap dance, the fake seduction of Devon, to get his key-card. Seeing them together_, _he'd flashed again.

Only then had he truly realized just how far up the creek without a paddle he really was.

That night Casey observed Chuck just spacing out in his room. He was watching one of his favourite movies. The one he had a poster for on his wall. Casey thought nothing of it.

He'd spent the next six weeks learning, planning, preparing. He'd accepted their training sessions, pretending to do so reluctantly. It allowed him unlimited and unfettered access to Castle. They were not going to question him sitting in the cell he'd taken over as his own to use as study centre, office, and more and more frequenty, as crash pad. If he was locked in Castle overnight, he was that much more secured as far as they were concerned. The fact that it allowed him to access certain equipment, to install it in places they did not expect, and to quietly hack into supposedly secure computer systems, did not even cross their minds. Chuck always did exactly as they asked him to do. They believed he had excepted his fate, and dismissed him accordingly. Much to his surprise, he really did have to pretend to dislike the training. Much of it he found both fascinating, and even fun. Though some of the subjects made him cringe, both inside and out, because of their utter immorality. Casey had to reminded him that morality was a value judgement, of little value in the world of shadows they inhabited. Such hesitation could get you killed. Chuck had taken that lesson to heart. He would need all the steel in his soul... for today.

He glanced at his watch - Eleven am. _It's time._ He stood up and went looking for Casey and Forrest. She always came over to talk to the Major about this time. _Good for the cover story. Ya right. _Chuck was quite aware that Forrest had long since pulled Casey into her bed. _Evil Bitch._

_There they are._ Spotting them over at the Beast-master display. Time_ to see if I'm as ruthless as the General wants me to be._ Chuck smiled as he approached the pair.

Sarah Walker would have recognized the smile and the look in his eyes, they were the same ones she'd flashed the day she walked into the Buy More. The day she'd found Chuck. The calm eyes and smile of a hunter, sure of his prey.

_Targets in sight._

**That's the set up folks- get ready it's going to be a wild ride.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Buy More: T minus 1 hour (11:00 am)**

_Hide the hunter's eyes. Speak with a decided hesitation. Shuffle the feet a little. Make sure they know your asking permission._

It had been almost too easy. He motioned them into the Home-theatre room, and drew the blinds before turning to them.

"Hey guys. Uh...is it OK if I go over to Castle now? I need to go over the daily Intelligence report, see if I flash on anything. I was hoping for some time tonight for Morgan and some Call of Duty... he's being a pain about all the bro time we've missed. With Sarah gone, he thinks we should be spending a lot more time together, so you-know, he can be supportive and stuff. With the training you got blocked in for today, and Devon coming to lunch, I'm just having a hard time fitting it all in..."

He was rewarded with both Casey and Forrest meeting his rambling request with a glazed look. Casey reacted with concealed pity, Forrest with barely concealed contempt. _Perfect, _Chuck thought.

He looked down at the floor to lose their gazes. He was holding on to the old Chuck eyes, but why take chances. He glanced back up. "So can I?"

"Sure Bartowski, go ahead. It will stop Emmett from finding make work for you. If he asks, Ill tell him your on a install. I already put the daily's in your room. Forrest and I will be over in about 15."

"Thanks Casey." Chuck nodded to them both. He exited the home-theatre room, listening to them talk.

" This is our secret weapon? We should give him to Fulcrum, we'd win in a week."

"Shut up Forrest, he'll hear you."

"Who cares?"

"I care, and General Beckman will care, if you break him more then he's already been broken. She's already made it pretty clear she regrets following the recommendation to replace Walker. Show the kid some empathy."

"Advice on feelings? From You?"

" You know Forrest, if I wasn't sleeping with you, I'd call you a Grade A Bitch."

" I am a Grade A Bitch, that's what makes me so good at my job – does that make you want to stop fucking me?"

"...No."

"Didn't think so. Do you think it would help if I fucked him? It's part of the brief."

"Forrest, he wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, let alone screw you."

"What makes you think I'd give him a choice."

" You ARE a Bitch aren't you?"

"I already told you I was. Weren't you listening?"

Chuck grinned, as he walked away. They had no clue what was coming. He almost felt sorry for them.

Almost.

**Castle: T minus 50 minutes (11:10 am)**

Chuck on his way thru Castle, activated the various devices he had planted. Most were planted in pairs. He's learned in any operation, redundancy was good. Murphy was an even bigger bitch then Forrest. _If any part of this fails, Ellie is in for an even harder time then if it succeeds. I won't let that happen._

He entered his room. _Let's be honest, it's my cell._ He sat at the computer and started going thru the reports. Nothing – a quiet day at the races. He was relieved. A major flash, or even a minor one could mean innocent lives. He didn't need the complication of a real emergency.

He called up the program he'd written and installed last week. A crash at Castle two nights later after a marathon physical training session had allowed it to be tested. It hadn't worked properly the first or second time he'd tried it. Even the third was kind of shaky. The forth thru tenth had worked even better than he hopped.

The program was a simple one – it looked exactly like a regular intelligence report, but if you paged forward to the last page it did... something else. He did not let himself even think of that. He couldn't have it showing in his eyes. He looked at the clock. Eleven fifteen. _Five minutes till they come thru the door._

He walked into the small but very well stocked medical storage locker, and picked up a carefully chosen injector. He opened his shirt and put it to his chest. He hesitated – he still hated needles, then with deliberate force he injected himself. _That should give me six hours of protection. Hell... if its not over in the next hour I'm a dead man. _

Chuck buttoned his shirt as he walked into the main briefing room. He eyed the monitor that would soon display the General for our noon briefing. _This is going to be a shockingly bad day for you Beckman. _He allowed himself a small smile, then hid it as the door to the Orange Orange opened.

Casey and Forrest came thru the door, and started down the stairs. "Anything there Bartowski?" Casey asked.

"Ya," Chuck answered. "There's something on the last page we should look into. You should read it, then I'll tell you the flash. Be back in a second. Too much Mountain Due this morning. I have to go to the bathroom.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Forrest open her mouth to reprimand him, but Casey just touched her arm and shook his head. Chuck could see she wanted to ignore Casey and rip into him, but in the end followed Casey's lead. The pair of them walked into Chucks 'office'.

Chuck felt his heart beating like he's just run a marathon as he walked towards the bathroom. _Your in the trap guys, now just take the cheese._

"What page did you say the flash stuff was on? Its on the cover page here." Casey asked.

Chuck strained to make his voice as normal as he could. "Sorry must of reset it when I got up. Just page forward to the last page, you'll see it's a dozy."

He watched from the doorway of the bathroom as Casey's finger reached out and repeatedly hit a key.

His every muscle vibrating with strain and anticipation. _Please god, let it work. I need this to work – __for Ellie._

As Chuck watched, Casey hit the page down key one last time. The reaction was immediate. The screen died. The door to the cell slammed shut and locked with a hiss. Gas - a visible one, began pouring from canisters secreted among the overhead pipes and wires.

With the slamming of the door, both Casey and Forrest both pulled weapons from their waistbands, trying to understand and engage the unknown threat. But there was none. None they could recognize at any rate.

The only one there was Chuck. Chuck standing at the doorway to the washroom, staring at them.

Chuck...

Casey was the first to clue in. He'd been on so many operations with Chuck. He knew what he was capable of if pushed - especially if he felt someone he loved was in danger. But it didn't compute. Walker wasn't in any danger, she was probably still setting up her cover in whatever shit-hole country they'd decided to send her to. Why was Chuck doing this now?

Casey yelled thru the glass walls - bulletproof glass walls - holding his useless handgun in his hands. "Bartowski, what the fuck do you think your doing! Stop this right now, or by God I'll put you in a world of hurt!" He could feel the gas starting to work on him. Knockout gas, he now recognized. Forrest with her much smaller body mass, was already down. He fell against the wall, and slid to the floor. Struggling to stay conscious, he watched Chuck walk up to the glass. "Why? You can't help get Walker back this way."

"Because I have to Casey. I have no choice. This isn't about Sarah – well maybe a little bit about Sarah. It's about a much more intimidate problem. A really, really bad – fuck up your whole life and the people you love problem. But don't worry - I won't leave you guessing, I'll tell you all about it in a hour when I wake you from your nap. Have a good sleep."

Casey with his last conscious thought, raised his gun and fired at the man on the other side of the glass. The bullet ricocheted around the cell, spending its energy on the glass walls. Thankfully hitting nothing of value... to Chuck.

Chuck hadn't even flinched. He gazed at his now unconscious friend. Seeing if there was any distress in his breathing. No, the gas seemed to be operating as advertised. _Classic Casey, fighting till the end. Never giving up. Good. I'm going to make use of that. He'll do what I ask, he's to honourable not to. But he's going to hate it, and probably me. _Chuck walked away from the cell, giving the gas more time to work. _Don't want Casey waking up to soon, that would spoil everything._

He looked at his watch. Eleven twenty-five. Devon was to arrive in about twenty minutes. Time to get ready.

He moved three lie detectors into the briefing room and stored them temporarily under the stairs. Castle didn't need three, but it had been easy enough to put through a fake request for replacement of a damaged unit. _He _was going to need three. Walking into the storage room he returned with a case. The label was bright red.

WARNING

THIS CASE CONTAINS

MEDICAL INJECTORS U.S. ARMY M2007/CEM 737

DO NOT USE WITHOUT TRAINING OR DIRECT ORDER OF

U.S. MILITARY MEDICAL PERSONEL

He placed the case on the briefing table, and looked back down the hallway leading to the cells. _That's long enough, time to get them locked into their _chairs. He grabbed a chair from the table and wheeled it down the hall, then returned for another. Opening the cell he noticed the lingering smell of the knock out gas. It didn't bother him. _I guess the antidote I injected works as advertized too. _He taken it in case he had no choice but be in the room with Casey and Forrest when the trap was sprung. One thing Chuck had learned from Casey is always have a back-up plan. Never count on your opponent doing EXACTLY what you want them to do. If he had needed to set the plan off manually from within the room, he would have been the first to succumb to the surprise attack.

He opened the door, then carefully checked on both his targets. Unconscious, breathing, and showing a strong pulse. Just as he wanted them. He lifted each of dead to the world agents into a chair. He went back to the storage room and returned with multiple sets of handcuffs and leg restraints. Locking each arm to the chair with its own binding, he did the same with their legs,wanting no repeat of Casey escaping by breaking a thumb bone. Too much was at stake to have Casey trying subdue him before he knew what was _really_ going on.

Finished, he relocked the cell door, just to be careful, and went upstairs to wait for Devon.

**Orange Orange: T minus 19 minutes ( 11:41 am)**

Chuck was sitting at the Orange Orange counter eating a frozen raspberry yogurt when Devon came thru the door. He walked up to Chuck and playfully slapped him on the arm. "Whoa Chuck, some new muscle there. Been working out huh? Awesome. I need to get you on some of my special health shakes, give you the energy to go for those extra long burns."

Chuck smiled his regular humour Captain Awesome smile. "Sure Devon, that would be great, can't wait to try one."

Devon looked around the store."So where are John and his new love toy?" He started wiggling his eyebrows. "Playing hide the frozen yogurt stick in the bathroom?" He laughed at his own joke. When he saw Chuck rolling his eyes. He laughed all the harder at the reaction he'd garnered.

"Nah, she just asked Casey to help move some boxes for her in the back, they should be up... I mean out in just a minute." Devon got a sharp look in his eye for a second, then went back to his regular happy-go-lucky grin. If Chuck hadn't been looking for it when he made that deliberate slip of the tongue he might have missed it. _Boy you are good, aren't you Devon?_

"You got to try this new raspberry yogurt Devon, it's great. Not one of your health shakes I'll admit, but good just the same." Chuck went over to the machine and fiddled with it for a moment, before coming back and handing Devon a small cup of reddish frozen yogurt. " Here Devon, I'm giving you a raspberry." They both laughed at Chuck's small joke.

"You sure Alex won't mind you using her equipment? I don't want her getting mad at you." Devon started spooning the treat into his mouth. "Hey your right, this is good."

"Told ya," Chuck answered, a small hard smile on his face ."No she won't mind, I heard her tell Casey that I could use her equipment any time I wanted, if it would help me get over Sarah."

Chuck watched Devon freeze at the statement. Then visibly shake it off. "That's nice of her, but you got to watch out for things like that. You can get a lot of bad karma from abusing someone's equipment. You don't need any more bad luck."

"Don't I know it. Devon, do me a favour, I need to go in the back and see whats keeping those two. Take over what Alex asked me to do, and keep an eye out. Any customers come in just give us a shout."

"Sure Chuck, no problem."

Chuck went into the cooler, opened the door to Castle, and placed himself in a small hard to see alcove along the walkway. He pulled out the weapon he's taken from the armoury and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Devon came thru the door in less then a minute. With great stealth and no hesitation, he started down the stairs. _To bad your looking in the wrong direction Devon - your bad. _Chuck aimed the weapon in his hand at Devon and pulled the trigger three times. All three tranq. darts hit. Devon collapsed like a rag doll, and crashed at the bottom of the stairs.

Chuck followed down the stairs, and bent to check on the man's condition. Devon's breathing and pulse were fine. Chuck let out a shuddering breath. _So far so good. _He looked at the clock. _Twelve minutes till H-Hour, Get off your ass Bartowski, you still got a lot of shit to do and not enough time to do it in. _

Getting Devon into his own chair and restraints had been easy enough. He searched him and found what he expected. He made use of what he found. He'd then wheeled Casey and Forrest out into the main room, and arranged the three around the table. He placed an open bottle of water before each of the prisoners then released one hand from each of them. It was the attaching of the lie detectors that gave him pause. He'd reviewed the procedure, but he's actually never attached the sensors themselves. Sarah had done that.

_Sarah..._

_God-dammit! Not now Chuck. Focus!_

He got it done, and glanced at the clock. Six minutes to spare. Plenty of time.

He returned to the bathroom and changed into the clothes he'd left there earlier. He had put much thought into what he should don. It might seem like a small thing, but people did judge you by the clothes you wore, and respected or disrespected you accordingly. The General _knew_ Chuck's Nerd Herd uniform was now just a cover identity, but she hadn't adjusted her thinking about the changes in him. She still treated him with barely concealed disrespect. Chuck had to change that. HE had to command the following confrontation. His new outfit reflected that. Black jeans, a dark blue military style sweater, and perhaps the greatest change of all, black lite-weight hiking boots. No more Chuck Taylor All-Stars. They were too much a personal affectation. They would go into the sacrificial flame he was making of his old life.

It was almost time to begin the new life to begin. But there would be a lot of pain in the birth, and not just for him. People he loved were going to be badly burned, even scared.

**Castle: H-Hour (12:00 pm)**

Chuck stood before the giant monitor in the briefing room, and simply waited. He felt remarkably calm, considering the storm about to hit. He had acted on the plans he'd made. There was no going back now. Now came the responsibility of explaining them, if not entirely justifying them to the General.

He could have done the things he still needed to be done , leaving a letter or video to explain his actions. He couldn't and he wouldn't. The General and Casey had to understand, from him personally, that HE understood the consequences of his actions. That he was prepared to pay the whole cost.

He glanced at the clock above the monitor. It was time.

The General appeared on the screen as the clock struck noon. _Punctilious as ever General _It made Chuck smile. Beckman as usual launched right in, her time was, after all, very precious.

"Good day, Major Casey, Agent..." Her words ran down as she took in the scene before her. Two Agents and a civilian she recognized as a member of Mr. Bartowski's family unconscious and clearly restrained in chairs around the briefing table. Chuck himself standing freely off to the side. She kept silent for perhaps thirty seconds. Her eyes taking in everything, judging, weighing, trying to build a scenario in her head for what she was seeing. Her eyes turned back to Chuck, studying him, noting the calm look he gave her in return.

When she again spoke it was with remarkable calm, considering the many thoughts she must have running through her head."Mr. Bartowski, would you care to explain." It was an order, not a question.

"Yes Ma'am, I will. First don't bother to hit the L.A. Alert button, the NSA tactical response team is off training at Fort Irwin, even if they left there immediately, it would take them several hours before they could effect the situation here. This will be all played out long before then."

"I see, and who authorized such training? I don't remember doing so."

"But you did Ma'am, They got your coded authorization three days ago. For a week of escape and recovery training at Fort Irwin. I can tell you they were glad to get it, they were feeling a bit stressed. Great way to get the kinks out."

The General frowned. "Why are you doing this Chuck? It will NOT get Agent Walker reassigned to your team. In fact it would severely effect your chances of EVER seeing her again at all."

"My relationship with Sarah will just have to take care of itself right now General. You and I have some far worse problems to deal with."

"I've put together a little show n' tell to explain it all. Would you grant me some patience and follow along. I think I've built up enough credit here, for you to give me a little hanging room."

The General gave him a tight smile. "Very well Mr. Bartowski, you have your room. But be aware the chair your standing on in very delicate. Losing your balance could cause you a lot of grief."

"I AM well aware of that General, but I don't think your aware how close you are to losing your balance too." As Beckman bristled, Chuck raised a hand to forestall her. "That is not a threat Ma'am, it is a statement of fact, as I'm sure you'll agree, after you know more."

"Thank you General, I'm going to ask you to cut your outgoing video link. Please - they can't know your watching or this won't play out right." Chuck watched the General, excepting her hard look. After a moment, she nodded. The screen went blank.

Chuck turned on the three lie detectors, allowing them time to find their baselines. When they were up and running, He walked over a grabbed three injectors. He walked over to Casey, pressing the injector against his neck. Almost immediately Casey began to regain consciousness. Turning his head and growling at Chuck.

"Chuck bent down on his still restrained side, and whispered in his ear. "Casey, shut up and listen, be mad, be mean, be confused and angry, but LISTEN. I'm going to give you a shot Casey - ONE shot – so you damn well better know for sure where it has to go. Now act like I haven't said shit to you, and your just walking up, while I revive the others. Can you do that?" Casey just glared at him.

Chuck walked around the table first injecting Forrest then Devon. Both quickly showed signs of reviving.

"Everybody awake? Good. As you all can see, your quite restrained. Don't bother to try breaking them, I used the good chains. In front of each of you, you'll find a bottle of water. I was nice enough to take the caps off, it would be hard to do that one handed. Go ahead and take a good long drink, It will help counteract the knock-out drugs I used on all of you. Before you go demanding answers to all your questions, don't bother, I'm going to lay it all out on the line for all of us to hear."

Chuck watched all three hesitate, then drain the bottles he'd placed in front of them.

"Everybody feeling better? That's nice. First off Devon, I'm sorry – It _appears_ you've stumbled upon something you were better off not getting involved in. But now that your here, I'm going to use you as a control, as I ask these other two ass-holes questions. I'm going to ask you the same questions so I can baseline their answers. I'm sorry I'm not going to give you a choice in the matter. Just do what I ask."

"Devon you should know I'm a CIA Asset, a sort of super analyst, who can take information that does not seem to fit together and well... fit it together. Casey, Sarah, and I were a team, a good team, probably the best. But the General in charge decided the feelings Sarah and I have for each other compromised our mission. We were in love, and they couldn't except that it made us a better team, regardless of all our successful operations. She didn't leave willingly Devon, she was ordered away. And Casey did nothing to stop it. But we're so much more successful now, aren't we Casey? What did our completion rate drop in the last six weeks... 43%?"

"Bartowski..." Casey Growled.

"Shut up Casey. This is your fault. If you had protested at all - maybe Beckman wouldn't have sent Sarah away, and brought in the BITCH. I'm in a bad mood, and I'm willing to do anything I need to to get what I want. So don't fuck with me! ANY of you!"

Chuck appeared to be on the edge of panic. Only Casey guessed that it might be an act. He could see it in the eyes that glared at him.

"I've had enough, I'm running away. So it doesn't matter what they know. I've got it all planned and I'm leaving soon as I know where find Sarah. Maybe I'll help her fight some Real enemies - you know the foreign terrorists and spies that want do destroy this country. Fulcrum are the bad guys? That's like the pot calling the kettle black. From what I've seen there don't appear to be a lick of difference between you. Both ruthlessly willing to kill anyone, including innocents that get in your way."

Chuck stopped talking. He was shaking with rage. It had started as a simple attempt to distract and unbalance the people around the table. It Had become much more, A cleansing of his soul, at the shear stupidity at the two factions fighting for power within their own government.

"I'm leaving," Chuck repeated. "Just as soon as you give me a clue about where I can find Sarah."

He looked at the people sitting around the table. "Answer the following questions with a yes or no."

"Devon, do you know were they sent Sarah?" "No." Green light.

"Do you know what her current assignment is?" "No." Green light.

"Do you know how I can get in touch with her?" "No." Green light.

"Forrest, do you know where they sent Sarah?" "No." Green light.

"Do you know what her current assignment is?" "No." Green light.

"Do you know how I can get in touch with her?" "No." Green light.

"Casey, do you know were they sent Sarah?" "No." Green light.

"Do you know what her current assignment is?" "No." Green light.

"Do you know how I can get in touch with her?" "No." Green light.

An evil light appeared in Chuck's eye. _Do I do it_? _Hell Yeah_! _Time for some payback._

"Have you ever had to seduce a Gay man to complete a mission?" Silence.

"Bartowski... When the General tells me to kill you – I'm gonna do it reeeeaal slow.

"Sorry Casey, couldn't resist. Don't ask – Don't tell huh?"

"I better lock up that other arm of yours before my mouth gets me in any more trouble."

Devon and Forest shared a look as Chuck forced Casey's arm behind his back. They heard the sound of the cuffs ratcheting down on his wrist. It was almost comical to see Casey's eyes bulge out of his head.

"You guys must think I'm really pathetic, planning all this and in the end leaving with nothing huh?" Chuck turned to the screen. You can come back up now General."

"Was there a purpose for that fishing expedition Mr, Bartowski, or are you just wasting my time?"

Beckman asked as she appeared on the screen. Even Casey seemed surprised that the General had been a party to the farce that just took place.

"We needed a good baseline for the real questions Ma'am." Chuck looked the General in the eye. "And who knows? I might have learned something."

Forrest and Devon shared another look across the table. This Chuck. This commanding, confident, Chuck was much different then the man they'd seen just seconds before. Something seemed very wrong here. _Why did the General appear to be going along with this?_

A compact suppressed Glock was suddenly in Chuck's hand. _Now their ready. But am I? This will darken your soul Chuck. Are you ready for that? To protect Ellie? Damn Right I am. _

"Let me explain the new rules to you. I'm going to ask you some questions. You WILL answer. If you fail to answer, I will do one of two things. I will take that failure to answer as a positive to my question, or I will shoot you in an extremity. I am not a good shot, it might take me several tries to hit my target. I think you should bare that in mind. You know the old saw that a lawyer should never ask a question in court he does not know the answer to. Believe me when I tell you, I already KNOW the answers to these questions. You see Devon, Agent Forrest, I don't just have the original intersect in my head." He paused, building their dread. He smiled a hard smile. "I have the Fulcrum intersect as well." The man and woman blanched at the words and tone of the man standing before them. Devon began. "Chuck..."

Chuck cut him off. "Save it Devon, the only thing that MIGHT save you, is the total and absolute truth, do you understand?" Devon glanced at Forrest who was staring at Chuck with undisguised hatred, he nodded and looked down.

"Well then lets get started. Please answer yes or no."

"John Casey, are you a member of Fulcrum?"

Beside himself with rage, a single word tore from Casey's mouth. "NO!" Green light.

"Relax Casey, I already knew the answer remember? It had to be asked in front of the General."

He turned to the woman chained to the chair at the end of the table. She stared at him with hatred...and not a little fear.. Chuck smiled his hunter's smile at her.

"Alex Forrest, Are you and your husband Devon Woodcomb members of Fulcrum?"

Knowing the General was about to explode, Chuck again raised a hand to forestall her. Chuck continued to stare at Forrest.

"Answer the question AGENT Forrest. You know the consequences." (Silence) _Sigh..._

Chuck raised the pistol... and shot the man he knew a Devon- a man he thought he knew, a man he thought worthy of his sister... in the foot.

Devon's screams filled the room. _Clearly not a field agent. Sorry Devon that why I shot you instead of Forrest. And you deserve it for the six years with my sister._

Chuck aimed the weapon at Devon's other foot. "Answer the question, Forrest. You already know your caught – is there any real point in prolonging this? I Will keep doing this till there's nothing left of him to save. "

"Yes! Yes we are! Just don't shoot him again!" Her brittle strength now gone, Forrest collapsed against the restraints.

Both Beckman and Casey were visibly shaking from adrenaline shock. General Beckman found the will to speak. "Chuck. What. The. Fu..." She stopped, collected herself, and started again. "Mr. Bartowski... Agent Carmichael, what is going on here?" Her words were no longer a order, they were a request. A desperate request of a spymaster, who's been hit in the head by a lightning bolt. A lightning bolt from a storm cloud she hadn't even seen... among all the other clouds. She almost felt dread of what he'd say next.

Chuck knew exactly what the General was feeling. He turned back to the screen. Looking her right in the eyes, he smiled his hunter's smile, and answered her.

"There's a whole shitload more surprises coming General. So pay attention. It's going to be a wild ride!"

**So know we know why Chuck's turned so heavy- some would say OOC. I don't – it's pretty clear Chuck would do to protect Elle. Especially against an evil spy who's been sharing her bed for six years. And to any that scoff at Devon BEING a spy- Schwartz has stated that was the original plan for Devon- he just got too popular to throw away like that- this part of the story is just an exploration of that original plot thread.**

**Evilredknight **


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